Improvement in locks



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. TOLL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 43,806, dated August 9, 1864.

T0 all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. TOLL, a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Rotary Tumbler-Lock for Trunks or Desks; and .l do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specilication and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 denotes a rear View, and Fig. 2 a transverse section, of the said lock. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are views of its rotary tumblers. Figs.

- 6 and 7 are views of the divisional plates; Fig. S, an edge view of one of the springs of the divisional plates. Fig. 9 is a view ofthe lock-case without the tumblers or cap. Fig. 10 is a side view of the key. Fig. 1l is a transverse section ot' such key, taken through one of its bits. Fig. 12 is a representation of the form and relative positions of the bits of the key.

1n the drawings, A denotes the case of th lock, the working parts-viz., thetumblers and their divisional plates and friction-springsbeing placed within a hollow cylindrical box, a., which is open at top and bottom, as shown at b and c. The opening b is to admit the hasp or lockcatch, which is formed in side View as shown in Fig. 13, and in end view as shown in Fig. 14. Vithin this box are two series of circular plates, one ot which are what are called tum blers/7 and are to be capable ot rotating within the box, while the others are divisional plates, which are stationary and not only separate the tumblers from one another, but have slots for holding bow-springs to act against the tumblers and produce friction, to prevent them from being revolved, except by the key, or, in other words, to cause them to preserve their proper positions, either for the introduction of the key into or its withdrawal from the lock.

Of the drawings, Figs. 8, 4, and 5 are views of the different tumblers B C D of the series, each of them being made with a concentric slot, d, and an opening, e, arranged with respect to one another as represented. Furthermore, each tumbler has a key hole or passage, f, made through it centrally. These tumblers, when in place in the box of the lock, are separated by means of two stationary plates, E F, (see Figs. 6 and 7,) each of which is not only made with a key-passage, f', and a latchnotch, g, arranged in it, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 but has two or any other suitable number of slots, h h, made through it. In each of the slots a bowed or semi-elliptic spring, i, is laid ilatwisa and so as -to bear against two of the rotary tumblers. The spring at its middlercsts against one tumbler and at Aits ends against the other, and by pressure against the two produces friction against them to prevent them from easily revolving. The distances of the passages e from the ends of their slots d varyiu the several tuinblers, as

shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The lowermost y tumbler, or that marked B, rests ou an annular segmental bearing, i, and two studs, k l, arranged in the box a, as shown in Fig. 9, the depth of the bearing i', as well:as that of each oi' the studs, being equal to that of the part m of the key, which, with the studs, serves to arrest the rotary motions of the key. The said key is formed with bits a o p and with spaces q r between them, as shown in Fig. 10, these bits being so arranged or placed as to cause the tumblers to be moved more or less successively by the key. In Fig. 12 the form of the bit o is indicated by the exterior lines. The bit p is represented by the lines sp, the bit 'n being shown by the lines s n. Each of the plates E F has a projection, t, extending from its circumference,the said projection,when the plate is in place within the box, extending into the opening or notch c, made in the side of the box. The said projection t and opening c are to prevent the plates E F from revolving.

within the box. A key-spindle, u, is arranged in the axis of the box and so as to enter a corresponding hole made within the head of the key, such hole being representedI in Fig. l() by dotted lines. VThe box a is provided with a cover, o.

On first applying the key to the lock, 'the tumblers should all be forward in their extreme positions, so that when thrown back into their other extreme positions all the passages e c e and g g shall-be directly alongside of one another, so as to allow the hasp or catch to enter all of them at once. By revolving the key when the tuinblers are back they will be moved successively, so as to move the parts a thereof into the hole y of the projection of the catch, and thereby lock the catch to the tumblers. When the catch is so locked the key may be removed from the lock, which it and applied to a box or ease' substantially in manner and so as to operate and be operated by a key as described.

CHARLES FR. TOLL.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

